Malawi, which is among the 10 poorest nations in the world, has one of the severest AIDS epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. To deal with its AIDS epidemic in a heavily resource-poor environment, Malawi urgently needs an enhance capability to conduct integrated clinical, operations, and health services research to identify effective AIDS-related interventions, scale-up these interventions in an efficacious and cost-effective manner and integrate these innovations into Malawi's health services. Phase I funding is requested to develop a Phase II application for an international and interdisciplinary clinical, operational and health services training program building on evidence-based practice to address the AIDS epidemic in Malawi. The program will be a joint project of Kamuzu College of Nursing and College of Medicine, in collaboration with 3 U.S. Universities (Johns Hopkins, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of North Carolina) currently conducting AIDS related research and training with University of Malawi faculty. The project has 5 aims: (1)To solidify ICOHRTA collaborative relationships and develop a shared programmatic vision among all individual and institutional partners; (2)To conduct a formal needs assessment that will identify the strengths and gaps in AIDS-related clinical, operational, and health services research and training in Malawi. (3)To plan and develop a Phase II application for implementing an HIV/AIDS ICOHORTA Program at the University of Malawi, based on the country's needs, in collaboration with 3 U.S. Institutional Partners; (4)To integrate the proposed ICOHRTA Program with the University of Malawi's 10 Year Development Plan; and (5)To prepare and submit an ICOHRTA-AIDS Cooperative Agreement Grant Application. Innovative strengths of the proposed program include: (a) the joint training collaboration of the colleges of Nursing and Medicine at the University of Malawi in recognition of the important link between biomedical and behavioral sciences in fighting HIV/AIDS; (b) the proposed training partnership of the University of Malawi and 3 US institutions already well established in AIDS research in Malawi, and (c) the use of an Advisory Board that links the ICOHRTA training program to the National AIDS Commission's and Ministry of Health's strategic planning.